Healthy Aging: November 2015
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Transcript of Healthy Aging: November 2015
YOU DO NEED A FLU SHOT
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lose weight,bE HAppIER
HEALTHY AgiNgNovember 2015
A HospiTAL uniT just for seNiors
A pUblIcATION fROm monmouth medical center, southern campus
HA.OCT15.newsletter.11.indd 1 10/28/15 3:56 PM
WElcomE lEttEr
More than 10 years ago I met a woman in her mid-80s on an in-patient unit at Monmouth Medical Center. I had been taking care of her husband, a gentle family patriarch with advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
He was close to the end of his life; we could both see that. She told me she wanted to bring him home for whatever time he had left. He was three times her size and unable to stand or get out of bed on his own. I couldn’t imagine how this tiny, al-most bird-like woman would be able to care for him. So I said no. I told her it would simply be too hard for her—and that’s when she taught me one of the most important lessons I have learned in my career in medicine, which if I count medical school has spanned 24 years. I quote her to the best of my memory: “Nothing in life that is really worth something isn’t going to be hard some-times. But it’s those things that are diffcult that are sometimes the most important.” With that she challenged me to look at things a little differently. I ended up conceding, and I sent him home to her care. A week later she called me early in the morn-ing to tell me he had died in her arms, in their bed, and to thank me.
I shared this story with the Monmouth Medi-cal Center, Southern Campus, staff, physicians and supporters at the dedication of the hospital’s new Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit (see page 3) be-cause I think it has a lot to do with the work we will do on this amazing unit. I know each mem-ber of our team of professionals has a moment like mine that they can go to in their heads and hearts, when they have learned something from a patient that has changed how they practice.
While the dedication ceremony marked an ex-citing day for us here on the Southern Campus, it was just the beginning. The ACE unit is the frst step in building the Geriatrics Institute at Mon-mouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, which will debut a state-of-the-art geriatrics outpatient practice. The institute will be the only one of its kind in the United States, housing an outpatient and inpatient program with shared staff and ser-vices working to create seamless transitions for our patients and their families in a medically complicated world. It will be a destination for outstanding geriatric care.
Sincerely,
Jessica l. Israel, m.D.
Regional Director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care,Monmouth Medical Center andMonmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus
2
DEbut of thE
nEW
They’ll make for more saTisfied paTienTs, happier sTaffers— and beTTer care.
As part of Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus’ $11 million renovation, three foors in the hospital’s
H wing (Heritage Building) have been converted to all-sin-gle-room units. In September, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the ffth foor, the frst fully renovated all-single-room foor to open. The frst patients were admitted on Sept. 10.
“Single rooms provide a number of clinical benefts,” said Frank J. Vozos, M.D., president and CEO of Monmouth Medical Center. “Patients who convalesce in single rooms experience speedier recoveries due to better sleep, reduced levels of stress and more honest and frequent communica-tions with physicians and nurses.”
There are 18 rooms per foor. Each room features a fat-screen television, lighting near the foor to provide better sight lines, a direct hookup to a telemetry monitoring system and other ameni-ties. Patients will not incur additional charges for a single room.
“Our single-room units will not only result in happier patients, they will also result in happier nurses and employ-ees,” said Judy Colorado, chief nursing offcer at the Southern Campus. “Our employees are thrilled about this project. And we all know that employees who are more satisfed with their jobs and work environment will provide an even better overall experience to our patients.”
sInglE rooms
New private rooms at Monmouth Medical Center’s Southern Campus
were dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September.
HA.OCT15.newsletter.11.indd 2 10/28/15 3:56 PM
3
WAITNG FOR PHOTO
The new AcuTe cAre for elders
uniT is specificAlly designed
for older pATienTs’ needs.
Caring for geriatric patients is different than for younger
populations. Older patients often have multiple health
problems, making treatment more complicated. They are
more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment and func-
tional decline, along with a lack of social or fnancial
support. And hospitals are typically not well equipped to
handle senior patients’ special needs, putting them more
at risk for hospital-related complications such as infec-
tions or falls.
But recent studies have found that special areas called
Acute Care for Elders (ACE) units can dramatically improve
such care. And Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus
(MMCSC) opens its brand new, 18-bed ACE unit this fall.
ACE units feature an interdisciplinary approach that in-
tegrates medical specialists to collaboratively develop the
patient-centered care plan. The medical center’s ACE unit
includes a geriatrician, a nurse coordinator, staff nurses,
rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and social
workers/care managers. The unit itself has been modifed
to include color contrasts to help people with limited vision
see their environment better; handrails in bathrooms, pa-
tient rooms and hallways; and furniture designed to ease
transfers.
The unit is headed by Jessica Israel, M.D., who is board-
certifed in three specialties: internal medicine, geriatrics
and palliative and hospice care. “She has a rich background
in geriatric care and we feel blessed to be working with
her,” says Joan Wills, regional assistant vice president of
MMCSC.
“The senior population around the country is growing,”
says Wills. “Each day for the next 20 years, 10,000 people
will turn 65. We are now better prepared to take care of
those seniors here in Ocean County.”
FOR SENIORS,
ACE IS THE PlACE
Coming soon: The geriaTriC insTiTuTe
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus’ new ACE unit is the frst of several changes under way as the medi-
cal center creates its new Geriatric Institute. By early 2016, an outpatient facility will open down the hall from the
inpatient ACE unit to house social workers, nutritionists, education programs and more.
The institute will not only help care for the patient, but will offer care for his or her home caregivers as well.
“Caring for an elderly person takes a lot of time and energy, and caregivers often stop caring for themselves,” says
Joan Wills, the campus’ regional assistant vice president. “When the patient is here in the hospital, caregivers
can get some respite. We want to be able to help them, too.”
At the ribbon-cutting for the medical center’s new Acute Care for Elders
(ACE) unit were Jessica L. Israel, M.D., regional director for Geriatrics and
Palliative Care, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center,
Southern Campus; James Maida, chairman, Board of Trustees, Monmouth
Medical Center, Southern Campus Foundation; Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS,
president & CEO, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical
Center, Southern Campus; Joan Wills, regional assistant vice president,
Geriatrics, Palliative Care and Community Health Education, Monmouth
Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus.
HA.OCT15.newsletter.11.indd 3 10/28/15 3:56 PM
4
good circulation,good healthImagIng now avaIlable In lakewood makes It easIer
to catch cardIovascular dIsease early.
An estimated 30 million
americans are at risk for
various forms of vascular dis-
ease, including stroke, peripheral
artery disease, carotid artery dis-
ease and aortic aneurysms. Most
such conditions can be treated
effectively if they’re caught early.
that’s why Monmouth Medical
center’s comprehensive Vascu-
lar center provides a wide range
of imaging services to fnd and
treat problems early.
and now those same services
are available at Monmouth Medi-
cal center Southern campus.
“diagnosing vascular disor-
ders requires advanced tools,”
says Mark K. Hirko, M.d., chair-
man of the department of
Surgery at Monmouth Medical
center. “We now offer patients
convenient access to a host of
advanced outpatient diagnostic
imaging and testing procedures.”
these services include
vascular duplex ultrasound
(which uses sound waves to
create a color map of the arter-
ies), pulse-volume recording
(which measures blood fow) and
tCPo2 (tissue capillary oxygen
pressure) measurement. “Ev-
ery image is taken by registered
vascular technologists and read
and interpreted by Monmouth’s
board-certifed health care pro-
viders,” dr. Hirko says.
Vascular screening is ben-
efcial for those at increased
risk for vascular disease, he ex-
plains. risk factors include age,
a family history of cardiovascu-
lar disease or a personal history
of high blood pressure, high cho-
lesterol, diabetes or smoking. “if
you have at least one of these
factors, you may beneft from
screening,” he says.
to learn more, call
732.923.5030.
Mark K. Hirko, M.D., FACS, chairman of surgery at Monmouth Medical Center and
medical director of the Comprehensive Vascular Center at Monmouth Medical
Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, and Geraldine Smith,
administrative director of perioperative services at the Southern Campus.
HA.OCT15.newsletter.11.indd 4 10/28/15 3:57 PM
5
There is plenty of data showing that obesity is a sig-
nifcant risk factor for such health problems as heart
disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and certain
types of cancer. But being overweight has serious men-
tal health consequences as well.
“Obese individuals have an increased risk of psy-
chological distress, disordered eating and an impaired
health-related quality of life,” says Thomas Massarelli,
Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at Monmouth Medical
Center, Southern Campus. “We know that extremely
obese individuals are almost fve times more likely
than other people to have suffered from a major de-
pressive episode in the past year. This is seen more in
women than in men.”
The good news is that, just as bariatric (weight-loss)
surgery can improve or even eliminate some of those
physical problems, it can also help patients achieve bet-
ter psychological health. “Most studies have reported
overall postoperative improvement in depressive symp-
toms, self-esteem, health-related quality of life and body
image,” Dr. Massarelli says. “Patients feel a greater
sense of control over their life, and a greater sense of
accomplishment in that there are things they can do
now that they weren’t able to do in the past.”
Behavioral issues are also often corrected by the sur-
gery. For instance, eating behavior disorders are fairly
common in the obese population, particularly binge eat-
ing disorder, which occurs in up to 15 percent of the
patients who opt for surgery. “Yet most binge eating
may be alleviated after surgery, which tends to lead to
more normal eating patterns,” he says.
If you would like to learn more about this and other
aspects of bariatric surgery, come to one of the bariat-
ric surgery lectures now being offered at Monmouth
Medical Center, Southern Campus, every month. Up-
coming lectures are scheduled for November 11 and
December 9. Parking is free. Preregistration is re-
quired. Call 888.724.7123 to register.
A WeIghT OFF YOUr MIND?In many cases, barIatrIc surgery can restore good health—and Improve one’s outlook too.
HA.OCT15.newsletter.REV2.indd 5 10/29/15 10:09 AM
6
Each October, Breast Cancer
Awareness Month reminds
us how vital it is that women get
regular mammograms. “Mam-
mography is the only imaging
study proven to reduce mortality,”
says Cynthia Ann Barone, D.O., a
breast imager at the Jacqueline M.
Wilentz Breast Center, which has
a satellite location at Monmouth
Medical Center, Southern Campus.
In fact, a 2010 study found that
the death rate from breast cancer
was 29 percent lower among wom-
en who got mammograms than
among those who didn’t.
“Some patients get nervous
because mammography uses ra-
diation,” Dr. Barone says. “But the
risk is extremely low. It is equiva-
lent to a few hours in sunshine
without sunscreen. People go to
the beach all the time and don’t
think about it, so they shouldn’t
worry about mammograms.”
The Wilentz Center also offers
breast tomosynthesis, a three-
dimensional mammogram that is
better at detecting cancer and, just
as important, better at ruling out
suspicious fndings. “Its biggest
plus is that patients don’t have to
come back for additional imaging
as often,” she says.
The center offers many other
imaging technologies, including ul-
trasound and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) scans. “But these
are meant as complementary to
mammography; they are not meant
to replace mammography,” says Dr.
Barone. Many guidelines call for
yearly mammography for all wom-
en beginning at age 40, or sooner
for certain women at higher risk for
the disease. Ask your doctor if you
are due for a mammogram.
MaMMograMsSAvE lIvES
RegulaR imaging of this kind is the best means we know foR spotting bReast canceRs eaRly, making timely tReatment possible.
Breast imager Cynthia Ann Barone, D.O., reads a mammogram while Diane Ciricillo, director of the
Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center, looks on.
The Jacqueline M. Wilentz Breast
Center at Monmouth Medical
Center is what’s known as a com-
prehensive breast center. That
means it offers multidisciplinary
care from surgeons, oncologists,
geneticists, social workers and
patient navigators to help women
throughout their treatment, says
center Director Diane Ciricillo.
“We also have dedicated
radiologists who focus on breast-
specifc screening,” she says. And
that’s important. “Many imaging
centers offer mammography, but
patients should be savvy about
who is reading the mammogram,”
says breast imager Cynthia Ann
Barone, D.O. “For optimal qual-
ity, radiologists should spend 70
percent or more of their time on
mammograms and not other im-
aging studies. As with anything
else, the more volume you do, the
better you are at it.”
Appointments for screening
mammograms are not required.
To learn more, call the bReast
centeR at 732.923.7700 oR go
online at baRnabashealth.oRg.
Why breast centers are best
HA.OCT15.newsletter.REV1.indd 6 10/29/15 9:40 AM
FOUNDATION FOCUS
7
many helped cook up a fine ‘flavors’
monmouth medical center southern campus foundation’s “flavors of the Jersey shore” food & Wine
festival took place oct. 22 at the pine Belt chevrolet showroom in lakewood.
mary clarke of healthsouth of Toms river and rob sickel of pine Belt enterprises co-chaired the event,
which drew more than 400 attendees. The vip preview food salon experience was hosted by celebrity chef
Joe leone, and vip sponsors included falco’s catering, the event planning company nJ’s Best dJ’s and opici
Wine. it was the foundation’s most successful food and wine tasting to date, thanks to the sponsors, sup-
porters and more than 30 food and beverage vendors who participated.
proceeds from this event went to help fund cancer services at monmouth medical center, southern cam-
pus, in observance of Breast cancer awareness month. Thanks and congratulations to all!
113 golfers make a
classicThe monmouth medical center southern campus
foundation’s annual Golf classic took place aug. 24
at metedeconk national Golf club. dominick servodio of
Td Bank was the chairman of the event, which had 113
golfers in attendance. it was the foundation’s most suc-
cessful Golf classic to date thanks to the sponsors and
participants, including the event’s Tournament sponsor,
pine Belt enterprises.
From the left: Bill Boglioli; Frank Vozos, M.D., president and chief executive offcer of Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical
Center, Southern Campus; Ben Harvey; and Bill Arnold, chief operating offcer of Monmouth Medical Center.
Dominick Servodio of TD Bank, chairman
of the Golf Classic, and Denice Gaffney,
vice president of the foundation at MMCSC.
HA.OCT15.newsletter.11.indd 7 10/28/15 3:57 PM
8
Here are some upcoming events that will be of inter-est to seniors. The location is the Center for Healthy Aging, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, unless otherwise noted.
NOVEMBER
• 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
CAREGIVERS SUPPORT
GROUP
Tuesdays, 12–2 p.m.; Wednesdays, 12:15–2:15 p.m.
• 4, 11, 18, 25
GRANDPARENTS RAISING
GRANDCHILDREN
SUPPORT GROUP
Wednesdays, 12:15–2:15 p.m.
• 6, 13, 20
CHAIR YOGA
Fridays, 2–3 p.m. ($5 per class)
• 9
LOOK GOOD, FEEL BETTER
1–3 p.m.
• 10
BRAIN HEALTH AS YOU AGE
10 a.m.–12 p.m., Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, 331 Georgia Tavern Rd., Howell. Register with the Monmouth County Park System, 732.842.4000, ext. 1.
• 10, 24
SELF-DEFENSE FOR OLDER
ADULTS,
10–11 a.m.
• 17
BRAIN HEALTH AS YOU AGE
2 p.m., Manchester Library, 21 Colonial Dr., Manchester. Register at 732.657.7600.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Should you get a flu Shot?
Yes. And now is the time to do it. Influenza (the flu) is caused by a
highly contagious family of viruses that create epidemics of illness every year. A flu shot is the best way to protect your-self and those close to you from this dangerous infection.
The fu is not to be taken lightly, es-pecially among older adults. As many as 49,000 people in the United States die each year from complications of infuenza, and hundreds of thousands are sent to the hospital because of it. Adults over age 65, those with weakened immune systems and those suffering from chronic
illnesses—such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes—are among the people most likely to develop severe and potentially fatal complications.
Flu shots have been proven to help your body’s chances of fighting off the flu—or to lessen its severity and dura-tion in the unlikely case that you develop flu. They are widely available at many physician offices and pharmacies. The protection they offer against influenza will last all year. Fall is the best time to get one, to give your body time to build resistance to the viruses that usually ap-pear in winter.
A question for todd PhilliPs, M.d., chief MedicAl officer, MonMouth MedicAl center, southern cAMPus.
DoctorAsk the
free ScreeningS, YOU HEAR?heAring tests At MonMouth MedicAl center’s southern cAMPus could be your key to A better quAlity of life.
Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems affecting older adults. The National Institutes of Health es-
timates that approximately 30 percent of adults 65–74 years old and 47 percent of adults 75 or older have a hearing impairment.
Hearing loss is more than just inconvenient or annoying. It can be dangerous. People with impaired hearing may have trouble understanding a doctor’s advice, responding to warnings and de-tecting alarms. It can also greatly diminish quality of life, causing older people who can’t hear well to become depressed or withdraw from others to avoid feeling frustrated or embarrassed by a fre-quent failure to understand what is being said.
Hearing problems can be treated, but they need to be diagnosed frst. That’s why the Center for Healthy Aging at Monmouth Med-
ical Center, Southern Campus, offers free hearing screenings at health fairs throughout the community. To fnd the dates
and times of upcoming screenings, call the center at 732.575.0452. Or you can make an appointment for a
full hearing evaluation at 732.942.5921.
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